Rocket-torpedo



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l. W. H. MALLORY.

ROCKET TORPEDO Ptentd Nov. 8, 1881.

2 Sheets S-heet 2:

(No Modal.)

W. E. MALLORY. ROCKET TORPEDO.

Patented Nov. 8, 1881.

UNTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HALF 'lO THOMAS F. ROWLAND, F

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

ROCKET-TORPEDO.

77 SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.

249,192, dated November 8, 1881.

Application tiledMay 2, 1881. (No modal.)

.70 all whom it may conccrn Be it known that I, WILLIAM il. MALLORY,oftbe city of Bridgcport, State of Uonnecticnt, have invcntcd a ncw andnseful Improvement 5 in Rockct-Torpedocs, ot which the follcwing is afull, truc, and exactdescription,reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings.

My invention consists in atorpedo which is arrangcd to be propelled bythe gas produced by the burning of some gas-producing substance, and intbc pcculiar construction 'and arrangement of the powder-burningdcvices, and in a novel method of compnsating for me loss of wcigbt ofthe torpedo due to tbe destruction of the powder or otber gasproducingmaterial, and that which I consider novel in my apparatns is claimed inthe claims hereto annexed. 7 In my drawings similar letters refer tosimilar parts.

Figure 1 represents a view, partly in section and partly in elevation,of the forward haltof iny torpedo; and Fig. 2, a similar view of tbestem and of my torpedo. Fig. 3 represents a view, in section, of twdofmy eartrid gcJ1oldin g devices; and Fig. 4, a view of one of thcm inperspective. Fig. 5 is a section thr0ugh Fig. 3 on the line 92 ac.

Arepresents generally n1y torpedo, which does not materially vary incxternal configuration from the torpedoes ordinarily employer],

. being cylindrical and more or less pointer] at; both ends. The stemend is providcd witb wings or fins W, for tbe purpose of tnrning tiretorpedo npon its axis as it advances tln0ugln the water. v

The forward chambcr, V, et m y torpedo may be charged with any suitablcexplosive, to be fircd in any well-known way, and the novclty of myconstruction will be found in the ponder-chamber and stem end of mytorpedo.

I arrange tbe powder which is to propel my torpedo in a number et smallcartridges arranger] to be simultaneously bnrned, instead ofusingonecartridgeofconsiderableextcnt. By this device, and by burningthese cartridges simultaneouslytlrrouglr a considerable lcngth ct 'mytorpedo, I am enabled -to equalize tire effect upon the torpedo of theloss of weight, and

to lnake the burning of the powder uniforin tbronghout the entireextent. 1t is' vcry un parent that if a single cartridgc of considerablelength and weigbt bc burned the centcr et gravit y of tbe cntire torpedomust be varied as the combustion of said powder advances, wbile bydividing the powdcr into short sections, and also by inclining tboscsections with reference to the axis of tbe torpedo, 1 avoir],

as far as possible, tbe longitudinal shifting cf tbe conter ot' grafltycf tbc torpedoboat. Further, by the, arrangement of a. nnmberofindependent cartridges or charges simultaneonsly burning I am enabledto burn at all ti mes during tbc burning of the charge tbe same qnan:tity cf powder b v exposing tbe samc area of surface for combustion.

I preter to arrange my charges in a number of independentcartridge-holdcrs, which are in tbeir general configuration hollo wcones. These maybemadeotany suitable material; bntI find compressedpapier-macb to be very suitable. These cartridge bolders and thecontainer] charges are shown in detail in Figs. 3, 4, and 5, as beforereferred to., The cartridge-holder itsclt consists of a tbickhollowcone, L, pierced 7 5 longitudinally. These cones are likewiscpierccd with a series0f circular cavities, wbose axes are parallel totlxeir outside surfaces.

These cavities are marked G, and may be readily seen in Fig. 3. I thcnprepare snitable cartridges of comprcsscd gunpowder, which are arrangedto burn uniformly and for a long; cnough time to cnable tbe torpedo tocomplete its determined course: I donot limit myself to compressedgnnpowder, as otber slow-bnrn- 8 5 in g gas-producingbodies migbt beused. These compressed cartridges arc then'forced into the cavities G,previously described. The cartridge-shells K are adaptcd exactly t0 fillthe cavities G. A suitable number of these cargo tridge-holders bavingbeen prepared, I prefer to place them in my torpedo as follows: I firstslip the requisite number ot cartridgc-bolders over a central stem ormandrel, and force tbem lwsely together. I thcn fill the angles formed 5at tbe base ofthe cones witb fire-clay 1-, and then slip the combinedcartridge'bolders and fire-clay witbin tbe metallic shell of thctorpedo.The rearmost cartridg&bolder is adapted to bear against a circularsupport, F, as showxz,

tridgeholderS are firmiy forced together, and

it will be fonnd thai; they form a practicaily continuons whoie, byreason of thcir iocking agansii each other, and the fire-clay is forccdontward and against a surrounding metallic shell, so that the completedstructure is solid, and firmly located within the metailic shell.

This metallic sheil bas prcfl-rahiy a. spiral channel ont upon itssnriace. Surronnding the central section of the torpedo, and extend-.ing over so much of the 'torpedo as is acted on by the powder, is anelastic tube, which may be made of india rnbber or other snitabie materiai. This clastic tube 01' casing is arranged to be filled xvjth asnflicient qnantity of air to exactly float the weight of powder ivhichis to be consnmed. In other words, the weight of Water displaced byreason of the"pr0scnce of air within the cSing shonldbeas neari' aspossib eqnal to the weight ofthe powder to be -consumed.Sinitabltapparatus is provided for .filling this expahsible casihg withair, and I provide the spiral channe], before referred to, in Order thatthe air-pressure may be simultaneousiy applied throughout the cntireextent of this casing, althongh ibis not absolntely necessary in ailcases. The air-cbaxhber within the expansible casing D connects witlrthe air-chamber E in'the stem of the-torpedo by meansof time-orifics B.The chagnhcr E communicates With the combustion-tube by free orifices T.,When the torpedo ischarged and ready for use these orifices T arearranged to be closed by a plng,S, which also closes the open end of thecombustionchamber and protects the charge. By this arrangement of acollapsing air-casing I am enabled to exactiy compensate for the loss ofweight in the torpedo due to the brning of the powder, and tosimultaneonsly andeqnaliy compensate for of the torpedo ing consnmed.

It is plain finit-the cxpanding diaphragm V D might be arranged inseveral ways so as to prodnc the same result and in the same way. Forinstance, il: might be located witbin the 'exterior metailic casing ofthe torpedo, or two chambers might .be provided, one ai; eiither end ofthe cartridge-chambcr, and by freeiy connecting the same and aliowingtiie contained air to escape the same resuit might be accomplished.

withi which the charge is be Il: will be found that an apparatus'constructed 'lik0 the one befor'e dcscribed wiil, owing to the'naturallaws governing the flow of gases niider varying pressures, opcrate torednce the displaccment of the expansble diaphragm uniformly dnring thesame pe riods0f time: outil the air has been entirely driven ont,uniformly and equaliy eompensate for the bnrning of the powder, so thatit will be fonnd that my tortliis loss of weight thronghont theentirelength .been prop'eri v charged with cartridgcs, as previonslyexplained, I procced to infinie the diaphragm D, which may bc done byany suitabie valve, lino ping S having been previously drivcn into theend ofthe combustion-chamber. as s2hown. This plng .s to be providedwith a snitablc exploder, the one I prefer being an apparatns to fireacharge ot ioose pow der throngh and to the end of the central opening,aronnd whch the cartridges are placed, thercby simultaneonsiy firing allthe cartridges. This exploder may.b ignited by electricty or in anyother snitable way. Th torpedohavin'g been placed in position in thewater, and properly dirctdd 'to strike the desired object, theexploderis fired and the explosion -immediatelydrives out the plug S..Then the powder, burning rcguiarly, by its reacti0n forces the't-orpedofo1ward at a. higli velocit. At the same time the air within thediaphragm, being releascd, flows ont through the time}orifices R andthefre openings T, and escapes with the products of combustion, andthereby, as heiorecxplained, the specific grav ity of the torpedoromains nnaltcred, and it pursues the same direction in which it wasoriginal] y aimed. The fins W, by rotatin g the torpedo on its axis,cause il? (0 pnrsne a straightiine in its forward motion.

\VhatIclaim as my invention, and dcsire to secnro by Letters Patent,is--- 1. A rocket-torpedo providcd with a number of independentradially-airanged propelling-charges, and means, s1ibstantiali as de.-scribed, ivhereby said charges may be simultaneously fired.

2. A rocket-torpedo provided with a. number of'independent chargeslocated at ditfrenf points in the length of the vessel, and menus,substantiilly as described, whereby said charges may besimnltaneonslyfired, to bmn al: the saine time, without afiecting thecenter of gravity of the vessei, a's sel: forth.=

3. A rocket-torpedo in which separate pow- .,der-receptacles arearranged in diverging lines from the axis of the torpedo ontward, withtheir mouths toWard the center, snbstantiaily as and for the purposeset; fortin.

4. A rocket-torped0 Drovidcd with a compeuSating collzsing diaphragm orchamber having atiineischarge orifice, substantiaily as described. V

Arocket-torpcdo providcd with a compensai,ing coliapsing diapbragm orchamber, which chamber is provided with a timc-orifice whose arca'aliows the coilapsing of the cham- -ber simltanonsly and coincidentlywith the burning of the powdcr,snbstantialiy as de-- scribed. r

(3. The combination, in a rockebtorpedo, 01 a series of independcntcartfldges adapted to be simni tanconSly fircd, and the collapsingdiaphragm ling a. tme-discharge orifice, substantial as deseribed.

7. A rocket-torpedo provided with a numcollapsng c0mpeusatng-diaphmgmtuechamber of which s provided with a firme-orifice, and a.plugconfit11mg the air wit-hin the dia-- hmgm-0humlmrmu] 'ad'apted to ho dmou fromthe torpedo, thereby mleasing tlne air by the explosion -of the powder,snhstn-nlially as described.

9. A rocket-torpedoiu whioh tho propellingcharge is arranged within aseries of sepamte iudependent pockets radially armnged, and allcommunicatiug with a central chamber open toward the renr, substantiallyas set forth.

' WM. H. MALLORY.

Witnesses:

ANTHONY GREF, J r., WILLIAM A. POLLOCK.

